The invention is an improvement on the construction module or unit disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 198,527 of June 30, 1964, issued to Leonard D. Long. In addition to the unit shown on the Long design patent, a variety of interlocking construction blocks or modules is known in the prior art. Some examples of the patented prior art are contained in the following United States patents which are made of record herein under 37 C.F.R. 1.56:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 708,499, 2,994,162, 903,907, 3,116,570, 1,365,162, 3,305,982, 1,552,077, 3,873,225, 2,221,416, 4,035,975, Des. 213,686
None of the known prior art building modules has positive interlocking and self-aligning means on all side surfaces as well as on the opposite end faces thereof, and none possesses the unique arrangement of vertical corrugations on the side surfaces in accordance with the present invention, which corrugations interfit complementally and lockingly in a variety of arrays of the modules.
A notable feature of this invention also absent in the prior art is the provision on the top and bottom end faces of each module of concentrically arranged steeply and gently sloping surfaces which shed water and resist water penetration through the structure while simultaneously cooperating in the alignment and interlocking of modules in adjacent courses above and below. The upper and lower end faces of the module also possess interlocking keys which also serve as barriers to water, sight and sound.
Other features and advantages of the invention will appear to those skilled in the art during the course of the following description.